


Ripping A Hole In The Fade

by Disputedleech



Series: Ripping A Hole In The Fade [1]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, M/M, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Two inquisitors (siblings), We're essentially saying "fuck you" to canon, also mage rights
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-28
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-26 03:53:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3836047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Disputedleech/pseuds/Disputedleech
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The First of Clan Lavellan and her brother are sent to the Conclave when disaster strikes. Suddenly, two Dalish elves are being hailed as the Heralds of Andraste, and neither are very happy about it.</p><p>Rated mature just in case.</p><p>Written by <a href="http://flowerqueenmerrill.tumblr.com">flowerqueenmerrill</a> and <a href="http://magefeathernerd.tumblr.com">magefeathernerd</a> on Tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ripping A Hole In The Fade

**Author's Note:**

> We use [Project Elvhen](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3553883?view_adult=true&view_full_work=true) by [Fenxshiral](http://fenxshiral.tumblr.com/) as a resource for all Elvhen translations.  
> Any translations used in a chapter will be in the end notes.

**9:27 Dragon**

“Da’lan, we must speak.” Keeper Istimaethoriel called Maire over to her aravel, gesturing for the child to sit with her.

She sat down next to her elder. “About what? Where are Mamae and Babae?”

“That is why we must speak.” Istimaethoriel wrapped her arm around Maire’s shoulder, bracing both for the news to come.

“What . . . what happened to them?”

“Their scouting party has returned with grave news.” The Keeper sighed deeply, running a hand through Maire’s hair. “They ran into some trouble with shelem slavers, all but two members did not make it back. Ar ame ir abelas, da’lan.”

“No!” Maire jumped up, eyes wide with tears.

The woman rose to her feet and grasped Maire’s hand. “The clan will do their best to support you in your time of need.”

“What about Arithari? What are we going to tell her?”

“We shall tell her that there was an accident, and when she is older she will learn the truth.”

________________________

“Maire!” Arithari waved to Maire as she approached, a smile lighting up her face.

“Da’asa'ma'lin, ir abelas,” Maire apologized. “But you must calm yourself. Sathan.”

Arithari tilted her head, confused. “Why?”

The elder sister sat down and leaned against the tree. “Come here, sit with me. I need to tell you something.” She patted her lap.

Arithari climbed into her sister’s lap, looking up at her. “Where’s Mama and Baba?”

Maire sighed and ran a hand through her sister’s hair. “They did not return from their scouting.” She paused for a moment to put her racing thoughts into words for the child to understand. “They have gone with Falon’din to be led beyond where we can reach.”

Arithari frowned as she recalled who Falon'din was. “But . . . they promised they’d be back!”

Tears welled up in Marie’s eyes. “Sometimes, da’lan . . .” She swallowed. “Sometimes people make promises they can’t keep.”

“That’s not fair!” She wailed, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“Life isn’t always fair, hallain.” Maire pulled her sister to her and buried her face into her red hair. Finally letting her tears fall, she promised, “Which is why we must always stay together, no matter what happens.”

 

* * *

 

**9:30 Dragon**

“Maire! Heeeelp!” Arithari called down to her sister, staring down at her.

“Perhaps we should start calling you iovru, for how often you get stuck climbing trees.” Maire joked, leaning on her staff.

The younger of the two girls rolled her eyes. “Just get me down, please!”

Letting out an evil laugh, Maire asked, “The hard way or the _fun_ way?”

“I don’t like it the way you said ‘ _fun_ ’ there.”

“Fun way it is then!” She snickered as she spun and slammed her staff down on the ground, sending magic through the vines that rested there. They rose up and wrapped around Arithari, lifting the young elf from the tree and depositing her next to her sister. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Maire asked.

Arithari shrugged. “No, I guess it wasn’t.”

Maire swung her arm around her sister’s shoulder and pulled her into a hug, laughing louder than before.

 

* * *

 

**Solace 9:41 Dragon**

Arithari sat next to one of her clan-mates, Danyla, staring across the camp. She had been considering this for a long time, but she’d thought it was something everyone went through. Only recently had she realized that not everyone felt the way she did. She decided to start with asking her friend, instead of approaching the Keeper immediately. “Do you ever look at the boys and wish you were more like them?”

Danyla frowned, turning her attention to Arithari. “What do you mean?”

She sighed, looking to her friend. “I mean, do you wish you were a boy and not a girl? Or is that just me?”

Tilting her head, Danyla tried to recall if she had ever felt that way before, but could not. “I’ve never heard of anything like that, why would you wish that?”

Arithari toyed with the ends of her hair, looking away from Danyla again. _I probably should have asked someone else. I should have known she probably wouldn’t understand._ “Because I don't feel like a girl. I never really have. I just . . . I hate almost everything about it. It feels wrong.”

A concerned expression crossed Danyla’s face. “Maybe something _is_ wrong! You should go to the Keeper, perhaps you are sick!”

“But . . . I’m not!”

“Well, you should still speak to the Keeper.” Danyla jumped to her feet, then turned towards Arithari. “Maybe she could help?”

“Maybe.” Arithari got to her feet, and made her way to the Keeper’s aravel. “Keeper Istimaethoriel?” Normally, she wouldn’t address the Keeper so formally, but she was concerned about how the older elf would react to her questions.

Istimaethoriel looked up from the book she was reading and shut it softly. “Da’lan? What is it? Is something the matter?”

“Yes . . . no . . . I don't know!” She threw her hands up in the air, exasperated.

The Keeper smiled at the dramatic movement, so like the young Arithari. “You don’t know? Perhaps you should start with what it is you wish to ask.”

“Danyla said I might be sick, but I don't think I am. I just . . . I don't feel like a girl. I wish I was a boy. Is that normal?” All of her words came out in a rush, as she sat down next to the Keeper.

“Hmmm . . . ” Istimaethoriel hummed in understanding. “It’s not unheard of, da’lan. Sometimes the soul and the body become misaligned, or they always were.”

The young elf paused for a moment, considering the Keeper’s words. “I think they always were, for me.”

“Then perhaps we should ease that feeling, yes?”

Arithari tilted her head, not sure how that was possible. “How?”

The Keeper stood and held her arms out as if drawing a bow. “When your arrow misses your target, but you followed your instructions exactly, what could be the problem? Your aim depends on many things, da’len, and every one makes a difference. Sometimes you need to change how you hold yourself to aim true. You must do what feels right for you.” She released the pose and looked down to the teen.

“What will the rest of the clan say?”

Istimaethoriel smiled. “They shall accept it, as they have in the past with others who were Isha’el. As we shall in the future as well.”

Although she had initially considered the reactions of the clan as a whole, it occurred to her that there was one elf in particular who _needed_ to understand. “I need to talk to Maire.”

She nodded. “Take as long as you need, da’ishan.”

“Thank you, Keeper.” Arithari rose, and went to look for Maire. The elf had some time to think while she wandered. _That explains a lot, actually. And I can actually be a man. That’s . . . amazing._ With that thought, she stopped next to Maire.

“Th'ea Arithari?” The First greeted as she walked towards the younger elf.

Suddenly worried about what her sister would say, Arithari stared down at her feet and fidgeted.“Um . . . we need to talk.”

Maire leaned on her staff and tilted her head her head in concern. “Are you not well?”

“I spoke to the Keeper. And . . . uh . . . she told me that sometimes the soul and the body can become misaligned, or sometimes they could have always been misaligned.” The elf spoke in a rush, hoping to get all of her words out before her sister could interrupt.

Maire frowned, confused by the wording. “Telharthan. Misaligned? Is something - ”

Arithari cut her off before she could finish. “There's nothing _wrong_ , but . . . I suppose a good way to put it is that I have _never_ felt like a girl. I've always wanted to be a boy. That kind of misaligned. ”

“So . . . you are a boy?” Maire asked.

“Essentially, yes. Isha’el.”

“Isha’el? Hmmm . . .” She tried the word out and thought for a moment before she straightened and declared, “Then you can’t be Arithari. Arithari is a girl. And you are a boy.” For her, it was just that simple.

The elf paused, glad that his sister was so understanding, but also surprised at how quickly she was adapting. “But what would my name be?”

“How about . . . Cyrith?” Maire suggested.

“Yes. I like that.” Cyrith smiled, already happy with his new name.

Her face broke out into a pleased grin. “An'daran atish'an, Cyrith, isa'ma'lin.”

“Nuvas ema ir’enastela.” He pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

Maire dropped her staff and returned the hug. “Nuva lasa su ma enaste.”

 

* * *

 

**Kingsway 9:41 Dragon**

The argument could be heard throughout the camp, their voices carried easily through the trees. Maire slammed her fist into the aravel, making it shake. “Absolutely out of the question!”

Cyrith jumped, flinching at the loud sound. “You need a healer to go with you!”

“Why would I need a healer?” She threw her arms into the air. “It is _just_ a meeting!”

His eyebrows knit together with concern as he spoke. “It's the middle of a war! You could get hurt!”

Maire crossed her arm across her chest and leaned heavily against the aravel, glaring at her brother. “You _know_ I have always been a better fighter than those _shemlen_.”

Cyrith sighed, pausing to gather his thoughts. He decided to try appealing to logic, although he wasn’t sure how effective it would be. “Even so, there will be many of them, and only one of you. And you _are_ a mage. They may think you're there to take sides.”

“I do not _need_ to take a staff, da’isa'ma'lin. I _can_ fight without one.” With a wave her hand Maire summoned a small ball of fire to prove her point.

“I _know_ but it’s still not safe!” The elf was aware that he was raising his voice, but he was reaching a point of desperation.

She clenched her fist, extinguishing the fire with an exasperated sigh. “I will be _fine_. I am the clan’s First, I would not have been chosen if I could not take care of myself and others.”

“I remember you said we must always stick together, no matter what happens.” Cyrith spoke quietly, looking down at his feet instead of meeting his sister’s gaze.

Maire covered her eyes. “I just . . . I can’t lose you. Not like we lost them.”

His head jerked up, revealing that his eyes were brimming with tears. “I can't lose you either, Maire!”

She lowered her and yanked her brother in for a hug, whispering into his hair softly, “Ar ame ir abelas, Cyrith. I will _never_ go back on our promise.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Translation Key:**  
>  _Da’lan_ \- child (f)  
>  _Mamae_ \- Mother  
>  _Babae_ \- Father  
>  _Ar ame ir abelas_ \- I am very sorry  
>  _Da’asa'ma'lin_ \- Little sister  
>  _ir abelas_ \- I’m sorry  
>  _Sathan_ \- Please  
>  _Hallain_ \- halla  
>  _iovru_ \- baby bear  
>  _Isha’el_ \- transgender (identifies male) lit. Man but more  
>  _da’ishan_ \- young man  
>  _Th'ea_ \- How are you? What’s up?  
>  _Telharthan_ \- I don’t understand  
>  _An'daran Atish'an_ \- Welcome or Greetings  
>  _isa'ma'lin_ \- Brother  
>  _da’isa'ma'lin_ \- Little Brother  
>  _shemlen_ \- human  
>  _Nuvas ema ir’enastela_ \- Thank you very much  
>  _Nuva lasa su ma enaste_ \- May it give you grace/May it grant you favor/You’re welcome


End file.
